ADRENALINE MOB — Adrenaline Mob (review)

ADRENALINE MOB — Adrenaline Mob album cover EP · 2011 · Groove Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
adg211288
Adrenaline Mob is the self-titled debut EP from this US group which includes among its members former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and Symphony X singer Russell Allen. Despite the major connections to those progressive metal acts the Adrenaline Mob sound is more firmly rooted in traditional heavy metal values. The five track EP features four original songs and a cover of Black Sabbath’s The Mob Rules to round it off.

While the music sits rooted in traditional heavy and/or hard rock values at its heart, there are also leanings towards groove metal within the guitar riffs. This is the sort of thing that is designed to make you bang your head rather than impress you with any sort of complexity, which is relatively absent in their sound and surprisingly so since both Portnoy and Allen were/are in two of the biggest names in progressive metal but I guess that’s a good thing in a way, since the sound breaks away from what fans of these guys have come to expect.

In comparison the other guys in the group are relatively unknown. In fact the only one of the three I have heard of before is guitarist Rich Ward (Fozzy, Stuck Mojo), though only through the fact that I’ve seen him live. It’s not surprising though really as despite the two big names Adrenaline Mob is not supergroup, and Mike Portnoy wasn’t actually one of the founders. They’re clearly a solid unit though, as this EP proves.

However although these are solid songs I just fail to be totally blown away by them. Russell Allen delivers a top notch classic heavy metal vocal, not unlike the late Ronnie James Dio, and the performance is skilled all round, but I just don’t hear anything that really sets Adrenaline Mob apart from other heavy metal acts. They’ll get attention due to the two big names involved here, but for me they’re going to have to up their game a bit and deliver something a bit more memorable. I dislike the tone of the lead guitars as well, although the playing itself is quite fitting to the songs, the production could use some tweaking.

While the first three tracks fit the same sort of template, fourth offering Down to the Floor spices up the EP a bit with a change in pace. It’s less groove and more hard rock with lyrically hooks to boot. Nice for a bit of variation, but it’s actually my least favourite track here. The best of the originals in my opinion is Believe Me. The Black Sabbath cover is however, perhaps unfortunately, the one that really got my head nodding.

But hey despite my complaints this is only an EP and their first release together besides, so I’m hoping that when they put out a full album they’ll be ready to blow us all away with some great classic heavy metal.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scored at 7.2/10)
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed